The Student
by Elraralia
Summary: [COMPLETED] This is the story of Gwynna, sent to live with the Elves and to be educated. Please read and review!
1. A Father's Daughter

NOTE: New fic again! Good or bad, I'll let you decide! This might or might not be a Mary Sue. If it is, I do not apologise, because there can be _good_ Mary Sues and I will do all I can to make sure this story is good. Before I begin, though, I would first like to thank Plasmolysed Cell Membrane for the help in finding a good name for the female character. Finding names can really really be a huge problem sometimes. Almost as difficult as finding Nemo, but not quite. (Sorry, I just _had to be corny.) And I have to say something else: I LOVE NAME GENERATORS AND NAME TRANSLATORS!_

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DISCLAIMER: Don't have the copyrights of LotR. Can't afford them anyway. And they're pretty good with Peter Jackson, ya?  
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CHAPTER 1 : A Father's Daughter 

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Gwynna leaned against the white stone railing, staring out at what lay before her. The White City was beautiful, and she loved Gondor, but nothing could stop a girl's daydreams. In her dreams she had adventures in dark forests, and she battled Orcs at the feet of snow-capped mountains. It mattered not that she could not fight in real life. In her dreams she was beautiful, with fair skin and long, smooth blonde hair, and graceful. In real life she was dark (compared to others, anyway), with wavy dark brown hair, and she was very prone to accidents, sometimes tripping over her own skirts. At times she hated the way she was, much to the despair of her father Leorian. "To me, Gwynna, you are perfect. You have to have faith in yourself," he always said to her.

Today Gwynna was daydreaming about riding, flying across the plains, challenging the winds. She was all right at riding, but she had never had any chance to allow her horse, Elenion, to gallop. She had never been out of the White City. Her father, who worked in the court of the King, often journeyed with King Aragorn to Ithilien to see Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, or Legolas, who ruled (in a way) over the Elves he had brought from Greenwood. Her father always told her wonderful things about Ithilien, which he claimed was the fairest country he had ever seen. She wasn't exactly sure what that meant, because she had never seen anywhere other than Minas Tirith.

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Leorian walked out of the Hall beside the King, the day's matters already addressed. He was a good man, Leorian, and Aragorn trusted him.

"There was something you wanted to speak about, Leorian?" Aragorn asked.

Leorian nodded. "I am considering sending Gwynna away from Minas Tirith. Not permanently, of course, I could not bear that. But I am thinking of sending her away. She has lived all her eighteen years in Minas Tirith, and has never set eyes on anyplace else. I know it is not uncommon, but… Gwynna is special."

Aragorn smiled. He understood what Leorian meant. That was what he felt for his children, as well. Except perhaps Leorian felt it more. After all, Gwynna was all that he had, after the death of his wife. There was a great love between father and daughter. "Are you thinking of sending her to Ithilien? Faramir and Éowyn would take good care of her."

"Yes, I _was thinking of sending her to Ithilien, but not to Faramir. I was thinking about sending her to Legolas, to live with the Elves. What do you think, my lord?"_

Aragorn thought on it for a moment. Ithilien would do Gwynna good, no matter if she went to Faramir or Legolas. And he could see Leorian's point. Living with the Elves would be a great change for Gwynna, and he could only see good coming out of it. Gwynna would learn about the ways of the Elves, learn from their ancient stories and histories. She would be well taken care of, and educated in a way she would never be if she continued to live with Men.

"I agree with you, Leorian. Sending her to the Elves is a wise choice."

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Two weeks later…

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Gwynna stood at the gate of Minas Tirith, holding Elenion's reins. Her father was next to her, with his steed. Eldarion came up to her. "My parents and sisters send their regards," he said. "We'll all miss you."

Gwynna gave Eldarion a hug. Although Eldarion was the heir of the throne, neither he nor his sisters flaunted their status, and Gwynna had grown up with them. She would miss him too. "Come to Ithilien sometime. It'll be nice to see you there," she told him. He nodded, and grinned at her.

"It's time to leave, Gwynna," her father said. He had already mounted.

She gave Eldarion one more hug. She mounted Elenion, and dropped her bag. Eldarion chuckled, bending down to pick it up for her. "Hopefully the grace of the Elves might rub off you a little," he said, handing the bag to her. His eyes gleamed mischievously. "Anyway, it should be more difficult for you to hurt yourself on the trees. I expect to see you with less scrapes at our next meeting." He tapped her wrist, where he knew she had bruised herself against the door the last time she had left the house hastily. She winced. It was healing, but it still hurt a little. She heard her father laugh behind her, and two spots of red bloomed on her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Eldarion. Till our next meeting," she said, as Leorian nodded to the guards. The gate began to open.

"Till our next meeting," Eldarion echoed as she began to ride out.

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They let their horses travel at a slow canter, at first, but Leorian knew that his daughter was dying to let Elenion gallop. She had never had the opportunity to ride over such a wide, open space before. Elenion was a good steed, a gallop would do him no harm. He gave Gwynna a nod and a grin. "Let's fly," he said.

Gwynna's laughter caught in the wind, the most beautiful sound Leorian had ever heard.

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Gwynna could not wipe the smile off her face. This was exactly what she had dreamt about, flying across the fields. She saw her father riding a little ahead of her, and urged Elenion on with a laugh. Elenion was a strong horse, and revelled in this galloping.

Father and daughter raced each other across the fields, a joyous moment for the both of them.

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Eldarion stood watching the horses and their riders grow smaller and smaller, vanishing into the distance. Yes, he would miss his childhood friend. Although he knew that she would not be leaving Minas Tirith permanently, he knew that it would be a long time before she returned to the White City. A feeling tugged at the back of his mind. He didn't know what made him think so, but he couldn't help thinking that something was going to happen. Something that would change everything.

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NOTE: Well this chapter might not be too long, but then again I've never been one to write very long chapters, have I? =0) Please review this, though, I want to know how everyone finds it!


	2. Father's Worries

NOTE: Well, here goes the 2nd chapter! I won't be writing the disclaimer because the one from the 1st chapter applies to all the rest. And I apologise if there might be a tad of a "gushing" when Gwynna meets Legolas. I can't help myself, you see. Gwynna's quite like me… you know… the klutziness and the daydreaming.

TO PLASMOLYSED CELL MEMBRANE: I haven't decided about that yet, but hey, he's the Prince of Ithilien… so there might be a possibility! It just depends on what I need to develop the story.  No promises but you know I'm a Faramir fan… (wink wink)

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Chapter 2 : Father's Worries

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The Elves were waiting when Gwynna and Leorian arrived. Two of them stepped forward to take the reins of the horses. Then Legolas Greenleaf came forward. Gwynna almost gasped. She had seen Legolas before, of course, when he went to Minas Tirith, but she had never seen him up close. She knew from what she heard that he was fair of face, but she had not expected what she saw. Most mesmerising were his blue eyes. They were eyes that had seen much, but were yet untainted by the occasional harshness of reality. She immediately had respect to Legolas, and curtsied when her father bowed, as was polite. Legolas put his hand to his heart, and then swept it outwards, as was the way of the Elves.

"Welcome to Ithilien, Leorian, and Gwynna," he said, smiling at the both of them. "It is very good to see you again, Leorian, and a pleasure to meet your daughter."

Leorian smiled back. "Thank you for having us, and thank you for agreeing to let my daughter live among your people. I believe she will learn much from this, and my worries are eased, knowing that she will be well taken care of."

Legolas nodded. "Aragorn had sent word, to tell you that you may dwell in Ithilien until you are ready to leave your daughter. And he also insisted that your daughter would be given the best treatment." Suddenly he laughed. "As if he needed to mention it! Don't worry, Leorian, your daughter will be treated like a princess, and I am certain that she will blossom under our care."

Leorian blushed a little to know that his king had thought of him, and his daughter, enough to send word to Ithilien. Gwynna bowed her head, deeply honoured. She had not met her king many times, but when she did, he had always treated her kindly. And now she was to live with the Elves, and be a student under them. She was a lucky girl indeed.

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In the evening, Leorian and Gwynna dined with the Elves, and they were introduced to the Elf who had been chosen to be Gwynna's teacher, and caretaker. His name was Fenwë, and Gwynna warmed up to him immediately. He was wise, and there always seemed to be a gleam in his eyes. He had promised to teach Gwynna anything she wanted to learn, and immediately she began to think up a list of things, getting very excited about what lay ahead of her.

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Leorian felt heartened to see his daughter so happy. At first he had worried that she would feel awkward being among the Elves, but he now saw that she felt completely at home. The Elves were very happy to have her, and Fenwë would definitely watch over his daughter while she was in Ithilien. She would be safe, of course, that he had never doubted, and she would be contented. That was most important. He would never let her stay if anything made him think that she would not enjoy herself.

Although the king had said that he could say in Ithilien as long as he wished, he planned to leave the next day. Dwelling in Ithilien would just make him all the more reluctant to leave his precious daughter, and there was really no need to make the parting even more difficult than it was already going to be.

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After dining, Gwynna took a stroll, arm-in-arm, with her father.

"You will be treated well here, no doubt, but you have to take care of yourself as well. Try not to get into so many scrapes like you do back in Minas Tirith. Don't cast a poor reflection on yourself, and the people of Minas Tirith…"

Gwynna laughed. "All right, Father, you don't have to fuss. I can take care of myself. I've always taken care of myself, so don't you worry about that!"

Her father fell silent at that statement, and a strange tension descended upon them, so that Gwynna found herself making the excuse of weariness, and went to find her way back to her rooms.

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Leorian wandered around the gardens alone after Gwynna went back to her rooms. _I've always taken care of myself_…

It had never occurred to him how true that was. His wife Morwenna had died when Gwynna was just three years old. The king and queen had been kind enough to let their children's nanny watch over Gwynna as well, but the nanny naturally took more care with the prince and princesses. And so Gwynna had been basically left alone for about as long as she could remember. Who's fault was that? He could think of no one else but himself. He could have done more for his daughter. He could have brought her around with him instead of leaving her behind whenever he travelled with the king. There had been so many opportunities to spend more time with his daughter, and he had not seized them all.

He shook his head, sighing to himself. After Gwynna was done with her education with the Elves, he would bring her home and make sure that she was really treated like the princess she should have been treated like in the past years of her life.

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Gwynna sat on the bed that would be hers until she left the Elves. It was a beautiful room, and she already loved it. However, that was not what she thought of. She knew that something she had said had affected her father greatly. What was it? What could have made such a big impact on him? She thought through her words, and it hit her. _I've always taken care of myself_. 

She slapped a hand to her forehead (perhaps a little harder than she really should have). She was a fool to have said that! It must have really hurt his feelings. This was what happened when she didn't think through her words. She had to ask Fenwë if the Elves had any methods of avoiding that.

Her father had always taken good care of her. She barely had any memories of her mother. Her father had always been the one to pick her up whenever she fell down, to dress her wounds when she got herself hurt. He had taught her all she knew now, and was always thinking about what was best for her. This stay with the Elves was a good example of that. How dared she even _imply_ that he had not done all he could for her? How dared she? She would really have to apologise to him tomorrow for that.

With a sigh, she got under the blankets, and soon she fell into peaceful slumber.

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NOTE: Here we go, done with chapter 2! Review, please! 


	3. Lessons

TO PLASMOLYSED CELL MEMBRANE: Yeah probably going to be a Legomance, if it isn't already. But I might bring in other people, depending! =0) Heehee… you'll definitely be getting more information soon!

TO SILCAWEN UVANIMOR-DREAMINGFIFI: Thanks but I don't need any new names. =0)   
^^^ Well… for anyone else reading this, you can look her up for elf names!

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Chapter 3 : Lessons

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Gwynna stood next to Legolas to say farewell to her father. She bowed her head, trying to hide her tears. She didn't want to seem a child before all the Elves. 

"Have a good journey back to Minas Tirith, Leorian. It would have been good if you had decided to stay with us, but I suppose there must be matters that you must help Aragorn attend to. He is fortunate to have such a loyal friend as you," Legolas said.

Leorian laughed. "My loyalty to him is nothing compared to yours. The adventures you went through together during the War of the Ring have not been forgotten," he said.

Legolas gave him a grin. "This is not the time to speak of that, my friend. Perhaps your daughter will hear more of them during her stay, if she wishes to."

Gwynna looked up. "Oh yes, I would definitely like to hear of those adventures!" she blurted out. "I've heard many stories, but it would be wonderful to hear them in full!" Suddenly, she noticed the magnitude of her outburst, and blushed.

All the Elves laughed, and Legolas turned to her. "Then you will hear them, Gwynna. But be warned, one day will not be enough to tell you everything, if you want them in full."

"Don't worry, she will have time," Leorian said with a smile. "And now I have to be going. I leave my daughter in the hands of the Elves, Legolas."

Legolas gave him a nod, and Gwynna stepped forward to hug her father. "I'm sorry about what I said last night, Father. You take great care of me, and I'm very grateful. I love you," she whispered, holding on to him tightly. Suddenly she was afraid to let him go. She was afraid that if she let him go, he would slip away from her, and she would lose him forever. _Stop thinking such silly things_, she told herself sharply. _Don't act like a child_.

Her father pulled away from her, after awhile, and gave her a smile that warmed her heart.

She stood before all the Elves, watching her father ride away.

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"Well, I thought it might be prudent to talk to you about the history of Men," Fenwë said, revealing a book of a thickness that made Gwynna's eyes widen. "Shall we begin?"

Gwynna nodded numbly. Actually, her father had already spoken to her about the history of Men, but she couldn't remember much anymore. It had been a long time ago. Perhaps Fenwë could find a way to make it easier for her to remember, and simpler.

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"Gwynna? Gwynna? Are you listening?"

Gwynna snapped back to reality. Fenwë's talk about Men had been much like her father's, and apparently she had not forgotten as much as she had thought. She had begun her daydreaming again. Daydreaming about sprouting wings and flying over the mountains, flying all around Middle Earth. She dreamed of forests and marshland, gardens and cities.

Fenwë was looking at her strangely, and she blushed. "I'm so sorry, Fenwë. I was daydreaming again. It's a bad habit, I know, but I can't help it," she said, trying to explain her situation the best she could. "I'm so sorry…"

Fenwë laughed. "Don't apologise. Daydreaming is good, at times. Just don't let yourself get carried away. There are times when it is good to lose yourself in fantasies, but you have to remember, Gwynna, always remember that you are first and foremost living in reality." He stood up. "Perhaps we will talk about the history of Men some other time. Now, tell me what you would like to do, what I have to do to keep you from your dreamworld."

Gwynna was silent for a while, thinking. What _did_ she want to do now? The truth was, she wanted to do so many things, but just could not decide. Finally, she shook her head. "I can't decide what I would like to do now. There are so many things I want to learn about, so many things I want to know. I want to learn to fight like the Elves do, I want to learn to speak Elvish, I want to hear the stories of the Elves, I want to…" She stopped abruptly when Fenwë raised a hand, laughing.

"All right, Gwynna, that is quite enough for now. Elvish is something you will eventually, if you stay with the Elves." Fenwë looked out at the skies, and gave Gwynna a grin. "The skies are clear today, it is a good day to be outdoors. What do you say to wielding Elven knives?"

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A moment later, Fenwë and Gwynna were both outside. Fenwë handed his pupil a pair of twin knives. "Now, be careful with these, and watch carefully. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself."

Fenwë took up his own knives, and showed Gwynna the proper way of holding them. Gwynna was a good student, when she was interested (and distracted from her daydreams). She learned fast. Her one problem was that she was clumsy, though. She dropped her knives a few times, and it was a lucky thing, almost miraculous, that she had not stabbed herself. Or him, thank the Valar.

At the end of the afternoon, Gwynna had learnt the basic skills of wielding the knives. Very basic, naturally, but Fenwë was satisfied. Gwynna would become good at it, with time and practice. He was sure of that. Teaching her would be a joy. As long as he tried to avoid the subject of the history of Men.

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Gwynna dined with Fenwë that evening. He was a good companion, and seemed to be able to converse about any topic under the sun. "Tell me about Mirkwood, Fenwë. I want to know what it's like," Gwynna said eagerly.

Fenwë was silent for a moment, as if thinking about what he could possibly tell Gwynna. "Eryn Lasgalen, it is now called. During the War of the Ring, and even before that, it grew dark, and some evil creatures lurked in it. We Elves had to always be on the watch, and we defended our realm with all we could. You will never really be able to picture the look of it, for you have never seen a large forest for yourself."

"Why did you choose to leave, Fenwë?" Gwynna asked curiously.

Fenwë gave her a smile. "Why did you choose to leave Minas Tirith, Gwynna?"

"For something new, I suppose. I still don't really know why. I had never left Minas Tirith." Gwynna shrugged.

"I think you could say I left Greenwood for the same reason. Of course, I had left it before, but I had never seen Ithilien before this."

"Do you have any regrets?"

Fenwë laughed. "If I had any regrets, I would have had taken a horse and gone back to Eryn Lasgalen! No, Gwynna, I have no regrets. At times I do miss Eryn Lasgalen, but you have to think of what you have with you. Ithilien is beautiful, and we have worked to make it so. Each and every one of us are proud of what we have done here, what we have done for this place. We love Ithilien with all our hearts, from the grass under our feet to the trees that give us shade. Remember, Gwynna, life is not about looking back to what you miss, but treasuring what you have with you now."

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NOTE: All righty, done with Chapter 3! Review please! I am reviewer-deprived.


	4. Arrows

NOTE: Chapter 4! (dances around like a maniac) I think these "NOTE"s are getting a little pointless. But somehow I still feel like I have to write them.

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Chapter 4 : Arrows

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A week later… (from the last chapter)

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Gwynna stood alone, about a hundred paces from the target. She frowned at the bull's eye, fiddling with her bow and arrow. Fenwë had been trying to teach her how to shoot earlier, but she wasn't making much progress. After awhile, Fenwë had suggested that they take a break, but Gwynna had refused, saying that she would practice herself. The way Fenwë left (hurrying, as if he could not wait to get away) _was_ rather discouraging, though. Not that anyone could blame him; Gwynna had almost shot him three times. 

Raising her bow, she shot an arrow. It fell, most pathetically, not very far from her feet. In fact, she only had to walk about three steps to pick it up. Taking a deep breath, she raised her bow again. This time, the arrow went much further, almost on the target. _Almost_. Gritting her teeth, she raised her bow _again_. And let out a whoop of joy when the arrow finally landed on the target. Not on the bull's eye, of course. Far from it. Very far. In fact, it was as far as the arrow could be from the bull's eye, and still be on the target.

Gwynna put her bow on the ground, and sat down next to it, rubbing her aching arms. Archery was definitely not as easy as the soldiers made it look. Suddenly she had a whole lot more respect for all the men who had fought in battles. And a little less ambition to fight in one herself.

An arrow whizzed above her head, and hit the bull's eye with a resounding _thwack_! Gwynna looked to her left and right, but saw no one. This was strange. Where on earth had that arrow come from? Perhaps Fenwë thought it funny to play a joke on her. And it was on the _bull's eye_, and she didn't even know where the archer was!  Staring at her own arrow, stuck pathetically at the edge of the target, Gwynna had to fight down her indignation for being so humiliated. She stood up, and started to look around in earnest. Then she saw him.

He stood quite a distance away from her, such that she couldn't believe that he had shot the arrow. The bow in his hand and the quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder gave him away, though. He began to run towards her (at quite a speed, she had to add), and he drew close enough for her to see the grin on his face.

"Good afternoon, Gwynna," he said, coming to stand beside her. At the speed that he was running, she would have expected him to be panting, but he wasn't even perspiring in the least. Well, that was to be expected, she told herself. She had to remember that she was living with _Elves_.

"Good afternoon, Legolas," she replied, trying to be polite. She had to remember that she was his guest, that she was here because he had allowed her to be here. _Remember_. _Remember_._ Remember_. "That arrow could have killed me!" she blurted out. _Oh dear, I forgot_, she thought, cringing.

Legolas was not offended, though. He laughed. "If I wanted to kill you, you would be already dead," he told her with a boyish grin that could make any girl melt. "I saw you practicing, and thought that I would join you. I haven't spoken to you since your father left, and I apologise for that. I've been away, at the Glittering Caves, visiting my friend Gimli. Where is Fenwë?"

"We finished our lesson awhile ago, but I said that I wanted to practice more. Fenwë hurried off, for his own safety," Gwynna said, looking down at her bow.

"Seeing you practice, I don't blame him," Legolas joked. Seeing Gwynna turning red, he sobered and said, "But you persevere. That's good, that's the key to learning. Come, let me see you shoot. Perhaps I could help you." 

Gwynna nodded, and picked up her bow and an arrow. She looked at the target. She couldn't embarrass herself now, she _had_ to at least get it on the target.

But it didn't. It fell dismally in front of the target, and lay on the ground. Gwynna thought that she was just going to die of embarrassment.

Legolas did not laugh at her. "You aren't holding your bow very straight," he told her honestly. "Hold it up." She held it up obediently, fixing an arrow in place. Legolas looked at it for a while, then came forward and put his hands on her arms. "Hold it straight," he said, showing her how. Gwynna should have been blushing over how close he was to her, but somehow it felt… comfortable. Like she had known him for a very long time. "Now, release," he said.

The arrow flew straight and landed on the target with a thud. It landed rather close to the bull's eye as well. Gwynna could hardly believe her eyes. Legolas smiled, satisfied. "Hold your bow straight, and focus," he told her.

She nodded. "Thank you."

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"Legolas helped me with archery today," Gwynna remarked to Fenwë that evening as they ate. "He's very good."

Fenwë nodded. "He _is_ very good at it. In fact, his skill with the bow and arrow surpasses mine. I doubt that any of us here can say that we are better than him. He never missed a target."

After they ate, Fenwë began to tell Gwynna a little more of Mirkwood, but she only listened half-heartedly. She was thinking about Legolas, and how he had so willingly helped her with archery.

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The next morning, Gwynna took her bow and arrows and went to the field, expecting to see Fenwë there waiting for her. Instead, she saw Legolas. He came to her, smiling. "Good morning."

"Where's Fenwë?" Gwynna asked. "We were supposed to have another archery lesson."

Legolas smiled. "I will be taking over your lessons from now on. In archery, anyway. I am not as good at Fenwë when it comes to talking about histories. Come, let us begin."

Legolas was a good teacher; he was very patient. Allowances had to be made since Gwynna did not have the sharp eyesights of the Elves, and thus things would have to go slower. But teacher and student put their hearts into it, and Gwynna began to improve. She even hit the bull's eye once, without any help from Legolas.

"All right, I think we can stop for today. We've been practicing for a long time now," Legolas said, sitting down on the grass. 

Gwynna joined him, satisfied with her achievement. "Tell me about the War of the Ring," she said. "You promised that you would tell me the story in full."

Legolas gave her a grin. "I did say that, didn't I? All right, then, I'll tell you." He fell silent for a moment, deciding where to start. Then he nodded to himself and began to speak.

Soon Gwynna was caught in the incredible adventures, caught in the excitement. Legolas told the tale very well, and not once did she find herself daydreaming. She was lost in his voice, and the wonders that he spoke of.

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NOTE: Please, please, please review this! I feel extremely reviewer-deprived.


	5. Time Flies

TO ELVEN SWORD: I've figured out a way to not make Gwynna sound that bad. Think of it as Gwyn-ne(r), and then things will seem to be better! That helped me, anyway. I was thinking of using "Gwyn" but that's the name of the main character in this show called The Princess of Thieves and every time I think of "Gwyn" I will think of this Robin Hood's daughter.

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Chapter 5 : Time Flies

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Time flew by, and Gwynna had now been away from Minas Tirith for three months. Now it was autumn. The trees were losing their leaves, and there were brown leaves everywhere that crackled underfoot. The Elves usually swept them up in neat piles, and at times Gwynna would help out too. She was popular, but she spent most of her time with Fenwë, who was very pleased with the progress of his student, and Legolas, who practiced archery with her everyday. Of course, she missed her father dearly, and often wondered when he would come to visit her, but at the same time she also felt that she had everything she wanted in Ithilien. Fenwë could never replace her father, but he seemed like a father figure to her, making sure that she was all right, and teaching her everything she could possibly want to learn, and more. Her relationship with Legolas was more complicated, though. She could speak with him about everything, and he would listen, always interested. Then he would tell her everything, and she would listen, always interested. She found herself looking forward to all the archery practices, and at times she caught herself making excuses to extend the practice. This way, Gwynna's skill with the bow improved by leaps and bounds, to the pleasure of both Fenwë and Legolas.

By then, Legolas had told her much about the War of the Ring, information that she took in greedily and remembered. What most fascinated her was the friendship between Legolas and Gimli. Gimli had not yet come to Ithilien for a visit, but there were always letters, and he had promised to come one day soon. Gwynna wished that she had such a good friend, a friend she could always depend on, a friend who would risk his life for hers.

Unfortunately, although Gwynna had developed more grace and poise than before, she was still rather clumsy. She was rather prone to dropping plates and cups, some of the more delicate ones shattering on the ground, much to her embarrassment and disappointment. At times she would have little scrapes when she wasn't careful with her knives and arrows, and Fenwë often found himself dressing her little wounds. Many Elves found it very amusing how she was always hurt in some little way, but Gwynna wished fervently that she would one day become as graceful as the Elves, and stop getting all the bruises and cuts. That led her to trying to glide around the way the Elves moved, which led to falling flat on her face. Which made the Elves even more amused. And so it went on, a vicious cycle from Gwynna's point of view, and just something entertaining from the point of view from the Elves.

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Gwynna wandered around, one of the rare times she was left alone. Fenwë had decided to let her have a day off from studies, and it wasn't time for her practices with Legolas yet. So she had some time to herself. She sat down, leaning against a tree, and opening her book. She frowned at the page, trying to decipher what she was reading. It was all in Elvish, and although Fenwë had spent many hours teaching her, and she had spent many nights trying to remember everything she learned, it still was slow and tedious for her to read a page of Elvish.

She became so engrossed in her book that she did not notice when two people came to stand before her, and jumped when Legolas cleared his throat. She looked up to see him grinning at her, and next to him was Eldarion.

"Eldarion! It's so good to see you!" she said, jumping up to give him a hug.

"It's good to see you too, Gwynna," he said, hugging her back. "We've missed you in Minas Tirith. My family sends their regards. And your father, of course."

"You came alone?" She was surprised. She had expected Eldarion to come with the king, and her father.

"Eldarion got a little restless in Minas Tirith, I understand," Legolas said, smiling. "Perhaps because he missed his best friend? Your father, however, is busy in Minas Tirith."

"He's doing well, so don't you worry about him. He worries about you constantly, though. I see now that there really is no need. Other than the scrapes and bruises I heard about from Legolas, but those are to be expected. In fact, I would be very taken aback if you were not injured in some way," Eldarion joked, winking at her. Legolas let out a laugh.

*&*

Eldarion watched, amazed, as Legolas and Gwynna practiced archery. Gwynna now had some skill with the bow, which greatly surprised Eldarion, as she had left Minas Tirith never having held a bow in her hands before. Legolas, of course, continued his record of never missing a target, but that only pushed Gwynna to work harder, and motivated Eldarion to practice as well. And so soon the three of them stood side by side, working hard on their skills.

As they practiced, Eldarion watched his two friends. There was something between them, some mutual bond. Something he could not exactly puzzle out. There just seemed to be this hidden confidence between the two, some strong foundation of trust. He nodded to himself. That was good for Gwynna. She needed a real confidant. He knew that there were many things she had had to keep to herself throughout her life, things she never felt comfortable telling him about. Legolas was just that perfect listener that she needed.

*&*

After their daily practice, Gwynna grabbed Eldarion's hand dragged him off to meet Fenwë, waving to Legolas as she walked away. Legolas smiled and waved back, gathering his arrows.

Eighteen, only eighteen. To Legolas, she should have been little more than a baby. But he thought her beautiful, smart, and gifted. He enjoyed her company immensely, and looked forward to their practices every day. In fact, sometimes he thought that the practices were the only reason he got up every morning. He was always thrilled when Gwynna wanted to practice for a longer time, and when she did not ask, he would try to make excuses.

He didn't exactly understand their relationship, but he knew that he enjoyed it, whatever it was.

*&*

NOTE: Well now I'm going to continue to write chapter 6 after I upload this. =0)


	6. Death and Love

NOTE: Well here goes chapter 6. Not exactly a happy chapter. And not very long either.

TO ELVEN SWORD: Still haven't exactly figured out the meaning of "composy" but I don't think I should change my writing style suddenly for this fic or else it'd be weird. Slowly and gradually, I'd try!

*&*

Chapter 6 : Death And Love

*&*

"Faramir was a good man in life. A man of honour, loyal to his country, and his king…"

Gwynna stood with the women, a black veil across her face. A tear rolled down her cheek. She had not known Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, very well, but she had spoken to him a few times, and he had always been kind and courteous to her. She had also heard great stories of him. He always put the issues of his people above his own personal issues, and had served his king well. It was a pity to lose him. Sometimes she wished that everyone could live forever, just so that no one would have to endure the bitterness of parting.

She looked over to Éowyn, Faramir's wife, standing before all the women, weeping silently. Éowyn loved her late husband dearly, more than she had ever loved anyone. At least she had not been left alone. She had her children to mourn with her, and look after her.

Gwynna sighed. She hated death, hated it with a vengeance. It stole people away from their loved ones. It stole her mother from her, and now it stole Faramir from his people. It wasn't fair.

*&*

"You've been very quiet today," Legolas remarked after dinner. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," Gwynna replied.

Legolas studied her face. She had not smiled for the whole day, which was something unusual for her. He supposed that she would be upset about the passing of Faramir, but he could also tell that there was something else. Gwynna was far from being all right. He knew better than to force her to tell him about her troubles, though. That never led to anything. "I'll be right here if you need someone to talk to. You know that, right?"

Gwynna nodded absently. Legolas left her to her thoughts.

*&*

Legolas sat outside the hall at Emyn Arnen, looking up at the stars. He heard footsteps, but did not turn. Gwynna would come to him soon enough. He wondered what was troubling her. It was late, and the night was cold, giving little reason for her to be out of the warmth of her blankets.

"Legolas?" Her voice was small, as if she was afraid of something. He turned to see her standing behind him, holding her cloak close. "I couldn't sleep. May I join you?"

"Of course you may, Gwynna. You know that you are always welcome."

She sat down next to him, shivering a little. "Couldn't you sleep either?"

Legolas gave her a small smile. "No, I couldn't, so I decided to come out and look at the stars. Stars can soothe a person, sometimes. What is it that troubles you?"

"I was thinking about death, about what it does to us." Gwynna sighed, shaking her head. "I hate it so much. I've never hated anything like this before. I hate what it does to everyone. I hate having to be parted from a loved one, parted forever. I hate losing a person. Why can't we all be immortal?"

Legolas took her hand in his. "Don't wish for immortality. It isn't always a gift. Death can teach us to love a person while he or she is alive. It can teach us to treasure our loved ones. Do you think you could love a person as much if you knew that you would be bound to him for the rest of your days, _never_ to part?"

Even in the night Legolas could see the tears that came to Gwynna's eyes. "Death took away my mother, before I was even old enough to love her like I should," she whispered. "Death took my mother away, leaving my father grieving, and me all alone."

And then he understood. This was not about Faramir, not at all. It was about her mother, and the wound that time would never heal. No matter how long ago it had happened, the fact that she never knew her mother gnawed at Gwynna. No one could erase the pain, and try as she might to be rid of it, Gwynna would have to carry this hurt around with her for the rest of her life. He said nothing, not knowing what he could possibly say.

"I can barely remember my mother," Gwynna confessed after a long silence, her voice shaking. "I only remember that I thought her beautiful, like princesses in the children's stories I had heard. She was always smiling; I never saw her in despair. Even in her last days, she would smile at me. And I didn't know what she was going through. I never thanked her for what she had done for me." Gwynna turned to face Legolas. "Did you know my mother, Legolas?"

Morwenna's face came to mind, and he said nothing at first. He had never spoken to her, but had seen her around with Leorian. Gwynna was right, Morwenna had always seemed to be smiling. A young woman, devoted to her husband and daughter. "Your mother was a beautiful, in more ways than one. She loved life, and from what I could see, she lived it to the fullest. I believe she left life with no regrets." Gwynna did not seem very much comforted, and so Legolas continued, "I also believe that she is watching over you, loving you, just like she did when she was alive. And I am sure she is proud of you."

"Why would she be proud of me?"

Legolas looked into the eyes of the maiden sitting next to him. How could she not see how lovely she was? How special she was? "Because you, too, are a beautiful, in more ways than one."

Gwynna looked down, a small smile creeping into her face. "You're just saying it to make me feel better."

He lifted her chin, making her look back into his eyes. "I'm saying it because I mean it."

The kiss he gave her was more heartfelt than anything he had given anyone before.

*&*

NOTE: I'm a hopeless romantic, so if you found that overly mushy you have to forgive me. =0)


	7. Parting

NOTE: Didn't want to "kill" Faramir in the previous chapter. But it's for the timeline's sake, actually. Because Faramir is obviously not immortal, and doesn't have the long life that Aragorn has. And he died in the 82nd year of the Fourth Age, and that's about when my story lies. So yup, gotta do it. Didn't want to, but had to.

*&*

Chapter 7 : Parting

*&*

"Good shot!" Fenwë nodded approvingly at Gwynna. "That was a very good shot."

Gwynna beamed. "Practice makes perfect, you said it yourself, Fenwë." Fenwë laughed and nodded, picking up his bow. He signalled that it was time to go, and began to walk ahead. Legolas and Gwynna followed behind in silence. Gwynna slipped her hand in Legolas'. _I have to stop behaving like a lovesick child_, she thought to herself. _Stop giggling and acting like a little girl_. But she couldn't help herself, couldn't stop herself from acting this way. Was this really what love did to everyone? She hated acting so childishly, but part of her rejoiced in it as well, enjoyed it to the fullest.

*&*

Fenwë noticed the two behind him holding hands, and could not help smiling. They seemed so happy together. He had known Legolas since he was a child, and he had never seen Legolas smile so brightly before. They were perfect for each other. It was a pity that Gwynna was not an Elf.

A shadow passed over Fenwë's face for a moment. No matter how happy they were together, Gwynna was still only a mortal. One day they would be forced apart, and there would be nothing that could be done to prevent it. Just like Aragorn and Arwen, their story would not have a happy ending. He sighed, wishing that there was something he could do. He loved them both, and Gwynna was now to him the daughter he never had. If there was any chance that giving up his life would allow them to be together forever, he would do it. Just for them.

*&*

Legolas sat in his study with a book open in front of him, but he was barely reading. He was spending more time thinking about Gwynna. Thinking about her brought a smile to his face more often than not. He looked forward to dining with her (and Fenwë) later. He laughed to himself, thinking of the strange things Gwynna had blurted out the night before.

Someone knocked on the door. "Enter," Legolas called out immediately, expecting it to be Fenwë. Gwynna never knocked; he had told her that there was no need to.

A Man slipped into the room. Legolas recognised him as one of Aragorn's messengers. The man spoke clearly, and politely. "I bring news for Gwynna, daughter of Leorian."

*&*

A moment later, Legolas was hurrying towards Gwynna's room, the messenger at his heels. He pushed open the door, forgetting in his haste, to knock.

*&*

"Don't worry too much, dear, your father will be all right. He will have a limp for the rest of his days, and perhaps an ache now and then, but these are things that he can bear with." The healing woman patted Gwynna's shoulder. "Your father is a very lucky man, to have escaped greater injury."

Gwynna put a hand over her sleeping father's forehead. A riding accident. He had broken his leg, and the healing woman suspected that he had cracked his hipbone as well. Injuries that he would heal from, but Gwynna could not shake away the thought that she had almost lost her father. He would need someone to care for him now. This was not something that she would trust to the healing women. This was something she would attend to herself.

She pulled the blanket over her father, and stepped out of the room. Legolas stood before the fireplace, and looked at her anxiously when she came out. "How is he?" he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "He is safe from harm now. But he needs someone to take care of him."

Legolas nodded, understanding. "Yes, you should stay and care for him. You could always return to Ithilien when he has recovered."

Gwynna shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "I almost lost my father… I don't think I can leave him again, Legolas. I don't know if I can go back to Ithilien without him again." Saying the words hurt more than she thought they would, and she let herself lean against Legolas when he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"I understand, Gwynna. Don't worry, we will still be able to see each other. I will love you forever," he whispered to her.

*&*

Legolas rode away from Minas Tirith the next morning, feeling strange without Gwynna riding by his side. He looked back, and saw Gwynna standing outside the gate, watching him go. He sighed. He had known that riding away would be difficult, but knowing that still didn't prepare him for it. Even now he wanted to ride back to Gwynna, and tell her that he would stay with her until the day they were forced to part. But he couldn't leave his people, not just like that. They both had their responsibilities, things that they could never run away from. The least they could do for each other was to love. And he would love her, love her with all his heart, forever.

Still, he wished that he could stay.

*&*

Gwynna watched as Legolas disappeared from sight, but still refused to move. Perhaps he was out of sight to her, but to his elf eyes, she was sure that he could still make her out in the distance. And so she remained.

She had never thought that she would find someone (other than her father, of course) so important to her. She had daydreamed about romantic episodes, of knights in shining armour coming to sweep her off her feet, but she had never expected it to happen for real. She had never expected that a simple girl like herself would fall in love. Would know _how_ to fall in love.

She closed her eyes. "I will love you forever," she whispered, letting the wind carry her promise.

*&*

NOTE: All righty! Chinese New Year break is coming but I will be at Hyatt and therefore possibly will have no Internet connection so this might be the last chapter for the week!


	8. Shadow

Chapter 8 : Shadow

*&*

"Father, hurry and come in, out of the cold!" Gwynna helped her father into the house, and made him sit right in front of the fire. "It's freezing outside, why did you come back so late today?"

Leorian smiled. His wonderful daughter, always worrying about him. His leg and hip didn't hurt anymore, except for the occasional ache, and although he still went about with a limp, it really wasn't as bad as it seemed. But still his daughter worried and fussed. In fact, she had even forgotten her nineteenth birthday the day before, and he had had to remind her about it. "Don't fuss over me, Gwynna, I'm all right. I was just talking to Eldarion. That boy is very intelligent, he will be a good king when his time comes." Gwynna nodded, and went to the kitchen to get her father some food. Leorian smiled to himself again; he had a surprise for Gwynna. "Gwynna, I can take my dinner myself. There was someone with the King when I was there just now… someone from Ithilien."

Gwynna came out of the kitchen immediately, holding an empty bowl in her hand. "Legolas is in Minas Tirith?" she breathed, a big smile spreading across her face.

Leorian got up from his seat and went over to her. "Come, let me take that," he said, taking the bowl out of her hands. "You go put on a warm coat and go greet him. I'll be all right here, just bring him over later."

Gwynna beamed and threw her arms around her father, then hurried to her room. Leorian could see her smoothing down her hair in her mirror, and chuckled to himself. Gwynna had never admitted to him what was going on between her and Legolas, but he had noticed that Legolas visited more often than before, and that Gwynna had always been incredibly excited whenever he came to Minas Tirith. He nodded to himself as he went to the kitchen. If Gwynna had to fall in love with anyone, he was glad that it was Legolas. Legolas was someone he would trust with anything.

*&*

Gwynna gave her father a peck on the cheek and ran out of the house, almost slipping on the little bit of frosted ice. She would have to scrape that off the steps later. But for now, she didn't care. She ran as fast as she could (without falling) to the King's hall, just in time to see Legolas walking down the steps.

He seemed a little surprised when she flung herself into his arms, but then he laughed and swung her around. "It's good to see you too, Gwynna," he said. "Sorry I didn't make it in time for your nineteenth birthday; it was snowing rather heavily in Ithilien. Fenwë sends his regards."

"That's all right, I'm just glad you're here," Gwynna told him truthfully. They began walking back towards Gwynna's house. "My father says that you have to…" Gwynna broke off when a coughing fit took her.

"Are you all right?" Legolas asked, patting her on the back (even though both of them knew that doing that didn't really help matters).

Gwynna gasped for breath a little after that fit. "I'm fine, I just have a slight cough. I'm fine."

Legolas shook his head. "That's not just a slight cough. You have to take care of yourself. Come, let's hurry and perhaps we can get you out of the cold sooner." He took Gwynna's hand and quickened his pace. She followed obediently. She _did_ have coughing fits quite a lot recently, despite all the herbs she had been given by the healing woman. Her persistent coughing irritated the healing woman more than it did her, perhaps because she didn't know what to make of it and how to cure it. Sometimes Gwynna felt like she couldn't breathe, either, but she dismissed that as too much coughing, and thought that perhaps after the winter was over all would be all right. She would be just fine.

*&*

Legolas walked back to the room Aragorn had ordered prepared for him in very high spirits. Everyone was indoors, probably warming their hands by the fire, but he did not feel the cold. He smiled to himself, thinking about the lovely dinner he had had with Leorian and Gwynna. It was a simple spread, but he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. It reminded him of the meals he had had with Fenwë and Gwynna in Ithilien before.

He frowned a little. The next time he came to Minas Tirith, he would bring something for Gwynna's coughs. As little as she made of it, he didn't like to see her coughing so much. That girl spent so much time fussing over her father that she seemed to forget she was human as well, and perfectly capable of getting sick. Perhaps someone was needed to take care of Gwynna while _she_ took care of her father. Perhaps he should send Fenwë over to Minas Tirith to watch over the both of them. Perhaps he should do it himself.

He shook his head, laughing softly to himself. What was he thinking? It was a cold winter; that was probably the reason for her health. Gwynna was no child, and she could take care of herself. He would just bring over some Elvish medicine for her the next time, and she would be fine.

*&*

Leorian lay awake in the middle of the night, thinking about his daughter. Her coughing was getting worse, it seemed to him. The healing women could find nothing in the Houses of Healing that could get rid of the coughing. It didn't seem to be affecting the rest of Gwynna, though. She was still a lively, active girl, and she still practiced with the bow and arrow whenever she could. In fact, her skill had surpassed Eldarion's, which of course made the boy feel extremely sore.

Try as he might, he could not stop thinking about Morwenna. Her illness had begun with coughing, too. "No," he whispered to himself. No. Gwynna was fine. It was just the cold winter. When spring came, she would get better again. And then he would make her go back to Ithilien. She spoke Elvish rather well now; it would be a pity to just stop everything halfway. Fenwë would be glad to take her in as his student once more, and of course Legolas would be delighted.

But still…

"No. Gwynna is going to be all right," he told himself fiercely.

*&*

NOTE: Ah all righty I will try to see if I can write another chapter before going off the Internet until the end of CNY break.


	9. Worry and Denial

NOTE: Well I'm not sure how many more chapters there are to go but there definitely aren't many to go. I'm finishing this fic very very soon! =0)

*&*

Chapter 9 : Worry and Denial

*&*

The winter passed slowly, each day as cold (or colder) than the day before. It snowed rather often, so that the paths were slippery, or blanketed with snow. People were often seen scraping ice off steps, or shoveling snow. Eldarion stood in the balcony of his room, leaning against the railing. He liked the winter, for some reason. Even though it was cold, he liked the fresh crispness of the air. No matter how tired you were, the cold breeze was sure to wake you up instantly. And winter brought quiet. He liked to be quiet occasionally, and think about the past, and the future.

Today he looked down at the frozen paths, thinking about his childhood days. He remembered his eighth winter, where he had raced Gwynna down the paths, and had broken his arm when he slipped on the ice. His nanny had given him such a scolding! He never did it again. Gwynna never did it again, either, having sprained her ankle and getting a lecture from her father. But that didn't mean that they had not gotten into other forms of trouble. Eldarion chuckled to himself as he remembered all the scrapes they got into, although it had not been very funny when they had been in trouble.

And then he sighed, thinking about Gwynna. She was so beautiful, even though she didn't seem to know it. When they were together, she would often express her wish to have beautiful golden hair and bright blue eyes, like the heroines in children's stories. She wanted to be graceful, she wanted to be perfect. It never occurred to her that she was already perfect, in her own way. He loved her dark hair and eyes. Especially her eyes that glinted when she came up with a plan for adventure (usually getting them into an awful lot of trouble), eyes that sparkled when she had something clever to say. He loved her wandering around in her own world, daydreaming all the time, almost never realising that someone was speaking to her. He loved her clumsiness, the way she was unable to keep herself from being banged up. He simply loved her. There had been a time when he had hoped that maybe when he was King she would be Queen. He had been fifteen then. That wish had faded over the five years that had passed, when he knew that they would never be more than best friends, but he still loved her, like he loved his sisters. But he wondered if things were going to change drastically anytime soon.

He had seen Gwynna many times recently, and had noticed her coughing fits were getting worse, and sometimes she gasped as if she was short of breath. She seemed to be getting sick very easily, something that had never been the case before; Gwynna was strong. She still acted as if everything was all right, but Leorian went around with a frown on his face more often than not. It was perfectly obvious that her father was worried about something. He had asked the healing women at the Houses of Healing if they had attended to Gwynna, intending to ask them to do all they could for her if they had not seen her. But he had been told that they were unsure of what was wrong with her. "Perhaps it's the winter," one of them told him hopefully. "We'll see if she gets better come spring." He nodded, but just before he left, he heard her mutter to another woman. "We didn't know what was wrong with her poor mother, either. Let's just hope for the best."

Eldarion sat down on the cold balcony floor, leaning against a pillar. _Let's just hope for the best_. Yes, they would have to do that. He didn't know exactly what had killed Gwynna's mother, but whatever it was, he hoped that Gwynna was spared from it. After all, her mother had been older than her when she had passed away. And what were the chances that Gwynna would catch the same thing? She was going to be fine. Just fine.

He hoped.

*&*

Fenwë frowned at the book in front of him. The medicine he had passed to Legolas the last time should have worked, but Legolas said that it did not. That was strange… it had worked for all the others that he had cured before. What was it that Gwynna was suffering from, exactly? Part of him really wanted to know, so that he could find something that could heal her, but another part of him did not want to find out, in case he could not find a way to heal her.

"No, she's going to be just fine," he muttered to himself. "I'll go to Minas Tirith tomorrow and check on her myself. She's going to be just fine."

*&*

Leorian sat in the King's hall, barely listening to what was being said. _I wonder how Gwynna is right now_, he thought to himself. She still seemed to be in good spirits, but he had noticed her getting paler. Perhaps she was pretending to be happy and fine just to keep him from worrying, but still he worried. The coughing did not go away no matter what medicine she was given. Now everyone was just waiting for the spring thaw, waiting to see if her coughing would melt away with the frost of winter. 

Now he was haunted by the same fear, every day and night. _What if Gwynna has the same illness Morwenna had?_ He refused to let himself believe it, but the thought would not go away. He shook his head slightly. _We could not heal Morwenna, but if Gwynna has the same illness, we will heal her_, he told himself firmly. Yes, they would heal her. Even if it cost him his life, Gwynna would be all right.

*&*

Legolas sat on his bed with his head in his hands. He was getting really worried about Gwynna. No one, absolutely _no one, knew what was wrong with her, and so there was no cure for her. Not yet, anyway. Not that they hadn't tried. Oh Valar, did they try. But nothing seemed to worked._

He thought about his beautiful Gwynna, how cheerful she had seemed to be when she saw him, despite not feeling very well. How she had smiled and laughed, how she had joked around with him like nothing was wrong. How she still could not avoid banging her elbow against the door. How she threatened playfully to dye her hair blonde with cloth dye. His lovely Gwynna, nothing seemed to be able to get her down. She had no idea how much like her mother she was.

_How much like her mother she is_, Legolas thought. He knew what haunted Leorian. No one had voiced it out loud, of course, but it was on everyone's minds, except for Gwynna's, perhaps. Everyone saw in Gwynna the same monster that had gnawed away at Morwenna. Everyone feared the same fate for Gwynna. Legolas looked up, trying to clear that horrible thought from his mind. He looked around his room, and decided to go out and let the cold air clear his mind.

Once outside, he looked around at the bare trees, stared at the white snow underfoot. And could not help thinking about Gwynna again. How she would have definitely tried to pelt him with snowballs, and how she would somehow find a way to hurt herself, even with the snow to cushion her. "Gwynna _will_ be all right," he said aloud, to no one in particular. "She will be all right, and I'll bring her to Ithilien to live with me."

*&*

NOTE: Well I hope that this chapter wasn't too cheesy and draggy. I was just looking at things through the perspectives of the people who cared for Gwynna. 


	10. Things Grow Dark

Chapter 10 : Things Grow Dark

*&*

Winter went by, slowly but surely. The frost began to melt away, and everything began to thaw. Flowers peeked out meekly from beneath the ground. People began to shed their thick winter clothing, and move about outdoors more. Everyone seemed to perk up, no longer bound to their homes because of the freezing cold. Everyone except Gwynna.

She stayed home more and more, suffering from common colds. Those were cured easily by the healing women, but then the cold would strike again and again. And that confounded coughing just would not cease. It was beginning to dampen Gwynna's spirits. And she hated feeling like she could not breath, hated the gasping and wheezing that came during those moments. She hated the dull ache that hung around her chest. She hated being ill. She hated not being able to run about outdoors like she used to. She hated not being able to take care of her father properly, needing _him_ to take care of _her_ more and more. She hated not being able to run out to greet Legolas when he came. Most of all, she hated seeing the worry on everyone's faces.

Fenwë had come a few times, frowning at her coughing, but he brought her Elvish books for her to continue her study, and brought her a new bow, sturdy and beautiful. But what was the use of a new bow when her father did not allow her to practice everyday? Of course she still went out and practiced, but those instances were getting rarer and rarer.

Eldarion came almost every day, when he did not have any studying of his own to do, bringing books and little wooden games so that she would not be bored at home. He brought little cakes and pies from the kitchens as well. "My mother said to bring these to you," he told her, and Gwynna always blushed at that, honoured that Queen Arwen had thought about her. Gwynna was grateful for having a friend like Eldarion who would come to keep her company whenever he could, and always did his best to make her laugh even when she was feeling terrible.

Legolas came to Minas Tirith as often as he could, and spent almost all his time at her side. Once he had brought Gimli along as well, when the Dwarf had decided to come and visit the king. Meeting Gimli had been a wonderful surprise for her, even though that had been one of her especially bad days. He was polite, and witty, and also had a different take on the happening during the War of the Ring. He did not hesitate in speaking about it to her, either, and had sat at her bedside for the longest time telling her as much as he could.

And of course there was her father. He hurried home everyday, as fast as his limping gait could take him, to check on her. He would insist that she had hot soup everyday, as a way to try to soothe the throat and prevent coughing. It didn't work, but he still insisted that she had hot soup. He always tried to crack jokes and laugh, acting as if everything was all right, but Gwynna could see right through him, and she knew that he was very worried. Sometimes, if she woke up in the middle of the night, she thought she could hear him crying in his room. And then she would feel terrible, thinking that it was all her fault. It was all her fault that she could not seem to get better, it was all her fault that she made her father worry so. She would feel like an ungrateful wretch, always creating problems for everyone else. And it was in those dark hours that she truly hated herself.

Deep in her heart, she was beginning to understand something, something that she knew was the truth. She was not going to get better. In fact, it would only get worse, each day worse off than the day before, until she finally succumbed to this disease that was eating her up from the inside out. And even though she knew that she should have been terrified, she was not. She just accepted it, and wondered numbly, _I wonder if this was how Mother felt._

*&*

Gwynna opened her eyes, and realised that she was lying on the ground. _I must have fainted, she thought to herself. She sat up, trying to ignore that dull ache in her chest, and looked around. The house was empty. __Good, Father does not know. She stood up, brushing dirt off her dress. Her head spun a little, and she walked a little unsteadily to her bed._

Just before she fell into drowsy slumber, she remembered thinking, _I wonder if I will wake, and still be in Middle Earth._

*&*

Aragorn watched Leorian. He seemed distant, and Aragorn knew that he was not listening to the issue about the sewers. _And why would he be interested in the sewers, when his daughter suffers at home?_ Aragorn shook his head and held up his hand, stopping the speaker in mid-sentence. "Leorian," he said, and the man shook himself out of his reverie. "Leorian," Aragorn repeated. "There is no need for you to be here today. Things will be well taken care of. Why don't you go home to your daughter, and take good care of her?"

Leorian stood up without protest, and nodded. This was unusual. Usually Leorian would protest that he had a duty to fulfil for the country, and would try to find excuses to stay. Aragorn frowned slightly. _Gwynna's illness must be worsening_. He had heard of her condition from Eldarion, who was growing increasingly worried, or even afraid. He had also heard of her condition from Legolas, who seemed to be about to jump out of his skin. "And why don't you take Gwynna to Ithilien? I am sure she misses the Elves. Go with her, Leorian, the air there will do you good as well. Don't worry about things here."

Leorian nodded once more, again without protest, bowed and hurried out of the hall.

*&*

Gwynna rode beside her father, bound for Ithilien, like she had been almost one year before. One year… and so much had happened. This time, they did not let the horses gallop, but went slowly, for which Gwynna was glad. At times she was not sure if she could stay in her saddle or fall off, and she was sure that if the horses had galloped, she would have simply fallen off and broken her neck.

*&*

Legolas stood anxiously, awaiting the arrival of Leorian and Gwynna. Unlike the year before, he was now alone. Finally he saw the horses appear, and draw closer. They seemed to take eternity to come to him, and he had never felt so impatient before in his life.

He carried Gwynna off her horse before she could try to dismount herself. He was taking absolutely no chances. He was going to make sure that she was very, _very well taken care of, and the only way to do that was to do it himself. Gwynna did not object to him carrying her off, though, which worried him even more. Usually she would have swatted him and complained that she could do it herself._

He forced himself to smile, knowing that she hated seeing him worry. "Welcome to Ithilien, my princess."

She smiled back at him. "It's good to be back in Ithilien. I missed this place." She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. "I missed you."

*&*

Gwynna ate little at dinner, but after the meal she wanted to take a walk with Legolas, like they did before, and so they went. They walked in silence at first, under the trees, holding hands. Then Gwynna said, "Do you remember that talk we had the first time we kissed?"

Legolas held his breath. "The talk we had in Emyn Arnen? The talk about death?"

Gwynna nodded. "I've been thinking about it. You were right, Legolas. Death teaches us to treasure our loved ones. I couldn't see it then, but I can see it now. I understand it now."

"Why are you talking about this?" Legolas had to ask, but in his heart he didn't want her to reply. He didn't want to hear what he knew she was going to say.

"I want to spend as much time as I can with you now. I want to love you more and more, and I want to treasure you for now. Because I don't know how much longer this is going to last."

Legolas forced a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, Gwynna. You're just saying this because you aren't feeling well. Don't worry, you'll be all right soon." But he knew deep inside that she was right. He just didn't want to believe it was the truth. He looked at Gwynna, really looked at her. She seemed so much older now, so much more matured. No longer the naïve girl who had left her home for the first time a year before, no more the girl who lived in her world of dreams, no more the girl who feared and hated death. Now she was a woman, a woman who understood what she was going through, a woman who knew what was going to happen to her. _No, I will not lose her, he told himself stubbornly. _

Gwynna shook her head and smiled at Legolas, squeezing his hand. "You can't lie to yourself like that, Legolas. You know what is going to happen." Her voice was calm and steady, and Legolas' heart felt like it was going to rip out of his chest. She looked straight into his eyes. "It's getting worse, everyday it gets worse. And sometimes I think that it's going to be the end, but it's not the end, not yet. It started with coughing fits, but now there's this pain in my chest, all the time. And I don't know how much longer I can stand it." Her voice finally broke, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "My mother suffered the same illness, didn't she? You know it, you know she did." She wrapped her arms around Legolas suddenly. "I'll miss you when I'm gone."

Legolas stood there, numb. He did not know what to say, nor did he think he could even make himself say anything. He felt frozen, completely frozen. He didn't want to believe what she was saying. He fought hard to tell himself that she was just exaggerating, that she would get better soon, and that everything would be all right, but it was hard to convince himself otherwise when he knew that she was right.

He was going to lose his princess.

*&*

Leorian tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. Gwynna seemed to be a little happier in Ithilien, but she was no longer the active girl she used to be. Of course, she could still walk about, but at times she felt so ill that she would want nothing more than to go to bed. She seemed to feel a little better with Legolas around, but that would not save her. A sob wrenched its way out of him, when he finally found no choice but to give in to the truth. 

The same evil that had stolen his wife was now stealing his daughter.

*&*

NOTE: Wow this is a pretty long chapter. It made me feel sad too… Anyway, I think this fic will be over in 1 or 2 chapters.


	11. Days Go By

TO ELVEN SWORD: Glad you liked Chapter 10, I loved it too! =0) Sad to write, sad to read. Oh well… it served it's purpose!

TO LALAITHOFTHEBRUINEN: I'm not too sure what she's got either. Hehe. I just went around and looked at symptoms for different respiratory-type diseases and came up with a mix of them all. I'm so sorry to Gwynna, but I really don't want to be her now. I'm so evil. Sorry, Gwynna!

TO THE REST WHO REVIEWED: Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry you don't get individual replies but I don't really know what to say. =0) Sorry about that! Well hope you enjoy this chapter!

*&*

Chapter 11 : Days Go By

*&*

"That's very good, Gwynna, your Elvish is improving." Fenwë leaned back in his chair by Gwynna's bedside. Recently she stayed in her bed a lot, except for meals, and occasionally she would want to watch Legolas practice his archery in the fields. She no longer had the strength in her arms to shoot an arrow herself. Fenwë suppressed a sigh. Even though no one (except Gwynna herself) had actually said anything out loud, everyone knew that there was no longer any hope for her. They had tried everything, but nothing was working. Now, in silence, everyone's hopes were to make Gwynna's last days comfortable and enjoyable. And so Fenwë had been delighted when Gwynna expressed his wish to continue learning Elvish. He brought her books everyday, and sat by her bedside for hours on end, both working hard, and talking about anything except for Gwynna's situation.

Gwynna put down the book and started to get out of bed. Fenwë fought the urge to leap up and help her. Gwynna could get out of bed herself, and Leorian, Legolas and he had decided to let her do as much as she could by herself. "Gwynna hates depending on others; she's always been very independent," Leorian had said with a sigh.

"Where are you going, Gwynna?" he asked, preparing himself to follow her wherever she went. She was never anywhere alone these days. As much as they had decided to let her be independent, they had not went so far as to let her be alone. Especially Legolas. The only time he was away from her was in the mornings when there were issues he had to attend to. At times Fenwë would have thought that Legolas would have had his entire study moved to Gwynna's room (or otherwise Gwynna's bed moved to his study) so that he could be with her all the time. Leorian also tried to stay with Gwynna all the hours of the day, but he was getting old, and had succumbed to illness once or twice himself. He had then been sent back to Minas Tirith for awhile, to get some rest. Fenwë shook his head. Get some rest indeed. He did not believe that Leorian had slept a wink in Minas Tirith, and now he was on his way back to Ithilien.

"I'm going to the gardens… I feel like getting some fresh air," Gwynna said absently. She seemed to be in her own world more and more these days. Fenwë did not think that she was daydreaming; she just did not seem to be very aware about things happening around her more often than not. Was she already leaving them, bit by bit, little by little? Would she be completely lost some day soon?

Gwynna left the room with Fenwë right behind her, and they almost banged into Legolas, hurrying on his way to Gwynna's room. Legolas smiled and took Gwynna's hand. "To the gardens or the fields, my lady?" he asked. One would have thought that he was just being polite, but a closer look at his eyes betrayed the worry and fear he felt.

Gwynna smiled back at him. "To the gardens. I feel like being among the trees and the birds today."

Legolas nodded and made a little bow. "May I have the honour of escorting the lovely lady to the gardens, then?"

Gwynna laughed, and Fenwë gave Legolas a nod over her head before going on his way, leaving the two alone. Legolas would watch over her now.

*&*

"It's such a beautiful day," Gwynna said happily.

"It is, isn't it?" Legolas agreed. "Springtime in Ithilien is always beautiful. Its beauty far surpasses that of Eryn Lasgalen. Or what I remember of it, at least. I have not gone back for a very long time."

"Don't you miss your father? I cannot imagine spending so many years away from my father." Gwynna rested her head on his shoulder, and Legolas shifted a little to put his arm around her.

"Yes, I do miss my father sometimes, but we were never that close. Not like you and your father. My father had always been busy. Being the king took up a lot of his time. Usually when I spoke to him, we spoke as king and subject, instead of father and son."

"That must have been horrible!"

Legolas laughed. "It isn't as bad as you think. It was just that at that time, there were so many things to take care of, so many different evils to fight. And it wasn't as if there was no love between my father and I. There was. We just didn't express it as freely as you do to your father."

Gwynna tightened her grip around Legolas' waist. "I still think it's terrible not to be able to love your father openly." She closed her eyes, and when Legolas looked down at her, he found her asleep.

*&*

NOTE: This is a very short chapter but once again I just didn't want to start something new in the same chapter. Doesn't seem right somehow.


	12. To The Stars

Chapter 12 : To The Stars

*&*

Legolas hurried from his room to Gwynna's, not bothering to stop by his study. He had had a rough night, and this morning he had woken up with the feeling that something was just not right. His thought had then immediately turned to Gwynna. _No… she can't leave me this way!_

Gwynna turned in surprise when he burst into her room. "What is it?" she asked.

Legolas let go of the breath he had not known he was holding. "Nothing, nothing," he told her, shaking his head. "How are you today?"

She gave him a bright smile. "I'm feeling all right today, much better than the days before, in fact." Legolas could not stop himself from sighing in relief. She _did_ look much better today. Maybe she was finally getting better? _Oh Valar please let her be getting better_…

But no matter what he thought, he could not shake off the feeling that something was going to go wrong today.

*&*

Leorian came out of his room to see Legolas and Gwynna already walking out. Gwynna seemed to be in much higher spirits than the previous weeks, and also she seemed to look much healthier. He should have been happy, but his mind brought him back to Morwenna's last day. She had seemed much happier as well, and he had thought that perhaps she was getting better.

_Nonsense_, he told himself. _Gwynna's not Morwenna. Maybe she's really getting better._ He shook his head and went off to join Legolas and his daughter.

But no matter what he thought, he could not shake off the feeling that something was going to go wrong today.

*&*

Gwynna had suddenly wanted to go riding, which delighted both Leorian and Legolas. She felt so happy, seeing their bright smiles. And she really _did_ feel better today. That pain in her chest had seemed to recede a little, now just a dull ache, something that she could bear much easier. Maybe the Valar had decided to give her a chance? That thought put a smile on her face.

It felt so good to be riding again. Of course, she was not ambitious enough to suggest letting the horses gallop, but it still felt wonderful to ride on Elenion, and feel the wind in her face. She looked at her father, and Legolas, and thanked the Valar for blessing her with people who loved her. She knew how much they had worried, and even though they tried to keep it from her, she knew how much they fussed. She smiled to herself, thinking about how an Elf maiden had once whispered to her that she had seen Legolas in the kitchens fussing over the food they were going to serve Gwynna. "He has never made such a fuss over such a trivial matter before," the maiden had said. Gwynna had then asked Legolas about it, and he had turned as red as a tomato, but that did not stop him from checking on her food.

They rode for most of the morning, and then went back for lunch (where Legolas mysteriously disappeared into the kitchens again). Although feeling much better today, Gwynna still did not eat much. Food sickened her most of the time these days, and she didn't want to feel sick, not on this lovely day when things seemed to be getting so much better.

"Perhaps tomorrow we could go riding again," Leorian suggested.

"Yes, that is a good idea. And maybe we could bring some food, and then we would not have to return for lunch, but ride for the whole day," Legolas added on.

"That's a good idea." Gwynna smiled. Yes, it was a good idea. If only this ache in her chest would disappear completely. And then she had a coughing fit.

"Well, of course we can't go riding if you aren't feeling well…" Legolas said immediately.

She waved his worries away. "I'm feeling better than I've had for a long time. Maybe tomorrow things will be even better," she said. "And maybe tomorrow I can even challenge you at archery, Legolas," she added mischievously.

Their laughter echoed in the hall, and all who heard it smiled, thinking that Legolas' princess was finally getting better.

*&*

Dinner was a merry occasion that night, with everyone in high spirits. Everyone dined together, and after dinner, someone began to sing, and soon there was much singing and dancing.

Gwynna was beginning to feel tired, having had a full day without returning to her bed, something she had not done in a long time. But she felt in her heart a certain… satisfaction. Today she had been truly very happy, and she had forgotten about her worries. That was something she had not felt in a very long time. She smiled, watching the Elves. Everyone was so happy.

Legolas came towards her, grinning, and held out his hand. "Can you dance, princess?" he asked her, his blue eyes shining brightly. Then a concerned look came over his eyes once more. "Or are you tired? Would you like to return to your…"

Gwynna interrupted him with a laugh, and placed her hand in his. "I _am_ tired, but I think I can manage a dance with a handsome Elvish prince."

Legolas nodded, and led her to the dancers. Gwynna noticed that Legolas did not set too fast a pace for the dance, but she didn't mind. Dancing with him was just so much fun, and she found herself jumping when someone tapped her on her shoulder. "May I step in?" Leorian asked, smiling. Legolas bowed, and stepped back, letting her father take over.

Gwynna laughed once more. An evening with her father, and the one she loved. What more could a girl ask for?

*&*

"I had a really lovely day." Gwynna sighed with contentment, leaning against Legolas' shoulder. She sat between Legolas and Leorian on a bench outside the hall, looking up at the stars, and listening to the laughter and song coming from indoors.

"Yes, I did too. A lovely day indeed." Legolas nodded in agreement. "I would love to have another day like this."

Leorian said nothing, but took Gwynna's hand and squeezed it. She smiled and squeezed his hand back. She looked at the stars again, seeing them twinkling at her, and suddenly said, "I love the both of you, you know. Thank you for such a beautiful day."

"Why…" Legolas began to ask, but Gwynna's eyes were closed, and she was no longer bound to her body, but flying up to the stars.

*&*

NOTE: Well… here's kinda the end I think I'll have something like an epilogue… yup yup. 


	13. Goodbye

NOTE: Hey this might be very cheesy or something but recently I've been "obsessed" with this song and I suppose it did help in writing this fic so I felt like I have to give it some credit. Lovely song. And here are the lyrics:

_Long Goodbye by Ronan Keating_

_I know they say if you love somebody  
You should set them free (so they say)  
But it sure is hard to do  
Yeah, it sure is hard to do  
And I know they say if they don't come back again  
Then it's meant to be (so they say)  
But those words ain't pulling me through  
'Cos I'm still in love with you  
I spend each day here waiting for a miracle  
But it's just you and me going through the mill (climbin' up a hill)_

_This is the long goodbye  
Somebody tell me why  
Two lovers in love can't make it  
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?   
No matter how hard we try  
You're gonna make me cry  
Come on, baby, it's over… let's face it  
All that's happening here is a long goodbye_

_Sometimes I ask my heart did we really  
Give our love a chance (just one more chance)  
And I know without a doubt  
It's turning me inside out  
And if we walked away  
Would make more sense (only self defence)  
But it tears me up inside  
Just to think we still could try  
How long must we keep riding on a carousel  
Going round and round and never getting anywhere? (on a wing and prayer)_

_This is the long goodbye  
Somebody tell me why  
Two lovers in love can't make it  
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?   
No matter how hard we try  
You're gonna make me cry  
Come on, baby, it's over… let's face it  
All that's happening here is the long... long goodbye_

_Are you ever coming back again (x3)  
I guess I'm coming back again_

Lovely song, don't you think? I sure think so.

*&*

Chapter 13 : Goodbye

*&*

"Thank you for everything, Legolas." Leorian grasped the Elf's hand tightly. "You did so much for Gwynna; I cannot thank you enough."

"I should be thanking you for sending her here, for sending her to me. She did a lot for me as well." Legolas sighed. "Well, now she can do everything she ever dreamed of, and more."

"Leaving us here to mourn for her…"

Legolas shook his head. "Not to mourn for her, but to feel happy for her. She knew what was going to happen, and she was brave. Now she is free from suffering, and aches and pains will no longer haunt her. Is that not a good thing, my dear friend?" He patted Leorian's shoulder when the man nodded. "Have a safe journey back to Minas Tirith, and we will meet again."

*&*

Eldarion stood at the gate among the guards, waiting. For what, he did not know. He had had a dream the night before. Gwynna had appeared in his dreams, smiling, as healthy as when she had first set off to Ithilien. She seemed so happy, and then she was waving to him… waving goodbye… and then she was gone, leaving him awake in the middle of the night.

"Are you expecting anyone, my Lord Eldarion?" a guard asked.

Eldarion nodded. "Yes, I think someone is coming to Minas Tirith today… but I don't know who it is." 

He did not notice the strange look that came to the guard's face. Another guard had called out, "Someone is riding to Minas Tirith! I think it is Master Leorian! Open the gate!" _Leorian_. Yes, yes of course. Eldarion hurried down as the gate opened, awaiting the rider.

The elder man seemed surprised to see Eldarion waiting for him. "What are you doing here, my Lord Eldarion?"

Eldarion waved away his question impatiently. "Gwynna. How is Gwynna?"

Leorian said nothing, but looked down at the ground, and Eldarion finally noticed the man's red-rimmed eyes, and the weariness that hung about him, and had his answer. "She's gone, isn't she?" he said softly. "Yes, she's gone."

For a moment the two stood in silence, both not knowing what to say. Then sense seized Eldarion once more, and he took Leorian's arm. "You must be tired from everything. Come, we will go to my father." _Gwynna would want me to take care of her father_.

As he led Leorian to his father's hall, Eldarion looked up at the sky and said a silent farewell to his friend.

*&*

Fenwë was waiting when Legolas went back to his study. Fenwë smiled sadly, and said, "It seems a little strange now that she's left us, isn't it? Especially since we know she won't be coming back again."

"Yes, yes it is." Legolas sat behind his desk, putting his head in his hands.

Fenwë nodded wisely, looking down at the younger Elf. "Yes, it is. You know, I thought that I would be overcome with grief, but… I'm not. And I think this is exactly how she wants it. She had a beautiful last day, and for that we should all be glad." 

Legolas said nothing, but a tear fell on the desk. Fenwë went over and patted him on the shoulder. "Weep for her, my friend. Let it all out, and perhaps you will feel better."

As he stood there comforting his friend, he looked up at the sky and said a silent farewell to his student.

*&*

NOTE: Well this is definitely the end. Feels good to complete a fic, and kind of sad as well…


End file.
